Traversing reel



Dec. 6, 1960 E. RIEGLER 2,963,233

TRAVERSING REEL Filed Aug. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

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ERNST RIEGLER HIS ATTORNEYS Filed Aug. 7. 1958 E. RIEGLER TRAVERSINGREEL 2, Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ernst lR ie Uer /zm/noig and Z6ATTORNEYS TRAVERSING REEL Ernst Riegler, Niederwalluf, Rheingau,Germany, assignor to Kalle Aktiengesellschaft, Wiesbaden-Biebrich,Germany Filed Aug. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 754,513

Claims priority, application Germany July 10, 1954 3 Claims. (Cl.24247.1)

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application, Serial No.520,471, filed July 7, 1955, now abandoned.

The present invention is concerned with a traversing reel, i.e., a reelfor continuously receiving an advancing length of elongated material,such as filaments, ropes, bands, or flexible tubes, and simultaneouslyand continuously delivering the received material, the material beingmoved along the axis of the reel between the point where it is receivedto the point where it is delivered. Such reels are used in themanufacture of synthetic yarn for example and generally have a set ofrolls which are arranged around a central or reel axis, the roll axesbeing skewed relative to the central axis. These rolls are supported inbearings at both ends to allow rotation about their own axes. Reels ofthis type are used for treating continuously running yarn a length ofwhich is helically moved on the reel as the yarn advances. A treatingmechanism such as a hot air blower can be mounted within the reel toblow against the helically moving yarn.

In the use of reels of the specified type, the yarn is moved around thereel from one roll to the next, and encircles the reel repeatedly. Thedegree of traverse, i.e., the distance between adjacent turns of theyarn, increases as the skew angle (the angle of the rolls with respectto the axis of the reel) increases.

The diameter of such reels is not constant but diminishes from the endsof the reel towards its middle, the rate of decrease being greater, asthe skew angle becomes greater. jacent turns of yarn wound on the reelalso diminishes towards the middle of the reel. Moreover, there is alimiting angle at which the rolls of these reels can be skewed, and thelimiting angle decreases as the diameter of the rolls increases incomparison to the diameter of the reel. Hence, with these reels there isan upper limit to the distance between adjacent turns of the materialbeing coiled, so that they are unsuited for coiling and advancing widermaterial.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of atraversing reel the cross-sections of which in planes vertical to theaxis of the reel are uniform in contour and width. Still another objectof the present invention is a reel which is adapted for coiling materialin turns of relatively large distance from each other and hence forcoiling and advancing material of relatively large width.

According to the present invention, a traversing reel of the typedescribed has a central cylindrical supporting drum section and aplurality of elongated flexible rolls each held against the cylindricalsurface of the drum section from one end of the drum section to theother in skewed relation with respect to the axis of said drum section,and mounting structure adjacent each end of the drum section connectedto the corresponding roll ends, holding them in position for such skewedrelation and including driving mechanism connected for rotating Withsuch reels the distance between ad-.

2, 93,233 Patented Dec. 6, 1960 the individual rolls around theirindividual axes. In view of the fact that the rolls are arrangedobliquely where they are supported by the drum section, each roll axistends to follow the line of a helix of very steep pitch, only a fragmentof each of such helices being included between the two ends of the drumsection. The rolls rotate about their individual axes, and because theybear against the cylindrical surface of the drum section they can rollaround that surface. A rolling movement on the drum surface may takeplace with all of the rolls simultaneously rotating around fixed axes,the supporting drum section rotating on its axis. Alternatively all ofthe rolls can move simultaneously as a body about the axis of thesupporting drum section while that section is stationary, or rotating.

For illustration of the present invention reference is made to theappended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of areel embodying the present invention, the reel being shown broken awayat the center;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reel of Fig. 1 taken along line2-2;

Fig. 3 gives an example of a driving arrangement for a reel according tothe present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a broken-away showing of part of a reel according to thepresent invention with part of a relatively thick rope wound thereon.

The reel shown in Fig. 1 has twenty-four flexible rubber rolls 1 whichbear against the supporting drum 2. For better movement in the bearings,the rolls 1 have pieces In of a nonflexible material attached to theirends. Short lengths 1a of a metallic round bar may, for instance, beinserted in and vulcanized or cemented to their ends. The rigid pieces1a are at one end of the reel supported in bearings 3, at the other endin bearings 4. For better clarity, only two bearings 3 and two bearings4, of the twenty-four bearings at each end, are shown in Fig. l.

The bearings 3 and 4, which support the rolls 1, may be journal orroller bearings. In some cases, it may be advantageous to use bearingswhich are movable or selfadjusting so that they can align themselves orcan be adjusted to conform to the helices of the rolls 1 on the drum 2as referred to above.

During reeling, the rolls 1 are kept under longitudinal tension as byhaving the bearings of each roll provided with enlarged heads 5mechanically biased away from each other. In Fig. 1 this tension isprocured by mounting the roll bearings 3 on a common disc 13 slidablymounted as by an integral sleeve 13a, around a central journal 10 towhich it can be fixed by a set screw 15. The opposite set of rollbearings 4 can be correspondingly mounted on a disc 14, although in thefigure this disc is not adjustable, being an integral portion of amounting bracket 12. By loosening the set screw 15, shifting the disc 13carrying the bearings 3 towards the left side of the reel until therolls 1 are of desired tautness, and tightening set screw 15, thetension is provided and maintained.

Supporting drum 2 is rotatably mounted by means of a journal pin 9 atthe one side of the reel and of a journal pin 9a at its other side.Journal pin 9 may be driven for rotation in known manner by a drivingmeans such as a pulley. Journal pins 9 and 9a are respectively supportedin journal 10 and disc 14. Journal 10 is integral with the frame 12.Journal pins 9 and 9a are fixedly connected to supporting drum 2 andpresent with the latter a rotatable unit. Gear Wheels 7 and 8, e.g.,sprocket or worm wheels, are fixedly mounted on the journal pins 9 and9a by means of a cotter pin 17 and a setscrew 16, respectively, andtransmit rotation from the journal pins to the rigid end portions 1a ofthe rolls 1,

by means of pinions or spur gears 6. Hence rolls 1,

although as a set remain in the same stationary location, are rotatedabout their individual axes while supporting drum 2 is rotated about itsaxes. The dimensions of gear wheels 7 and 8 and of pinions 6 are in suchratio that the peripheral speed of supporting drum 2 equals that ofrolls 1. Thus, on rotation of supporting drum 2, rolls 1 are caused toroll on its surface by the gear drive as Well as the frictionalengagement between the supporting drum 2 and the rolls 1. Instead of theabove-mentioned pinions 6, other elements such as bevel wheels, frictionWheels, chains or flexible shafts may be used for transmitting rotationto the rigid end portions 1a of the rolls 1.

As indicated above, in operating a reel according to the presentinvention both the supporting drum 2 and the set of rolls 1 may rotateabout the axis of the reel. Fig. 3, as an example, demonstrates anarrangement of driving means for this kind of operation. Theconstruction of Fig. 3 incorporates many of the components of theconstruction of Fig. 1, and these components are identified by the samereference characters.

In Fig. 3, the journal pins 9 and 9a and the supporting drum 2 as a unitare driven by a pulley 18 aflixed to the journal pin 9 by a set-screw29. The disc 13 is provided with a pulley 19 which may be integral withthe disc or securely connected to it. A gearing comprising the gearwheels 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 and a shaft 29 are connected forrotating discs 13, 14 in unison. Each of the gear wheels 23 and 24 hasan extended hub 10 and 149a respectively, on which the discs 13 and 14are aflixed by the set-screws 15 and 3% respectively. The gear wheels 23and 24 are freely rotatable about the journal pins 9 and 9a,respectively. The gear wheels 25, 26, 27 and 28 are freely rotatableidlers supported in the frame 12.

For operating the device, the pulley l? is driven and rotates the discs13 and 14 and the bodily unit of all of the rolls 1 about the axis ofthe reel. The angular speed of pulley 19 can be diflerent from that ofpulley 18 which rotates the supporting drum 2. A set screw 21 threadedin pulley 18 and bearing against the frame 12 is utilized to lock thedrum 2 against rotation if desired.

Fig. 4 further illustrates the invention in a reel provided with eightflexible rolls 1 for winding a rope 30 having a cylindricalcross-section with a considerable diameter, i.e. about 30% of theoverall reel diameter.

As explained above, the rolls 1 bear against the surface of thedrum 2 inthe form of screw lines of very high pitch or lead; e.g., in Fig. 1 therolls 1 bear against the surface of the drum 2 in the form of right-handscrew lines of such steep pitch that each extends only about a fiftiethof one complete revolution around drum 2.

Advantageously the rolls 1 of the reel, according to the presentinvention, are mounted in such a Way that the lead of the steep screwlines is variable in pitch and if desired also in direction, so that itis possible to vary the distance between the single turns of materialwound on the reel, and if desired also the direction of traverse.

In order to change the pitch of the rolls 1, only a relatively simpleadjustment is required. This is acomplished by loosening the set-screws15, 16 and then rotating disc 13 on the bearing member 10 to the desiredposition. Since the bearings 3 are integral with the disc 13, they aremoved therewith to the desired position, after which the set-screws 15and 16 are tightened tohold the disc 13 with the bearings 3 and therolls 1 in their adjusted positions. The flexibility of the rolls 1permits the rolls to assume a new pitch between the bearings 4 on disc14 and the adjusted bearings 3 on disc 13.. For example, with theright-handed pitch of Fig. 1 the rolls, in rotating on their individualaxes while the drum rotates in one direction, they advance the coiledmaterial 11 from right to left of the reel, as viewed in Fig. 1. If thedisc 13 is rotatably adjusted to reverse the pitch of the rolls relativeto the drum, the rotation of the drum in the same direction as beforewill eflect an advance of the coiled material 11 from left to right. Onthe other hand, the disc 13 may be rotatably adjusted only to an extentsufficient to change the angle of pitch of the rolls without actuallyreversing the pitch itself. As can be readily understood, the variationof the pitch of the rolls will cause a corresponding variation in thelateral shifting of the material being wound and, consequently, of thenumber of turns of such material that can be taken up on a specifiedlength of the reel. An intense treatment of the material coiled aroundthe reel with a liquid or a gas is attained by supplying the treatingagent to the coiled material from the interior of the supporting drum 2,e.g. by feeding the treating agent through a hole drilled through shaft9 into the interior of the hollow supporting drum.

2 and from there through a plurality of holes provided in the surface ofthe supporting drum 2 to the coiled material.

The reels according to the present invention are advantageously used fortreating endless material of considerably greater Width, such as, forinstance, bands, cables, ropes or tubes. With the reels according to thepresent invention it is easier to feed the treating agent equally to allturns of the material coiled around the reel than was possible with theknown reels with rigid rolls. With the latter the distance of the singleturns and their diameters were considerably unequal, it such materialshad to be coiled. The reels according to the present invention make itpossible to continually submit endless material, such as tubes, to alonger treatment, while the material is coiled in turns of equaldiameters. Moreover, the reels according to the present invention arecapable of continually advancing bands, tubes or similar material alongan approximately spiral way, even if the diameter of thereel is not verygreat with respect to the width of the band, tube or the like. Thismakes it possible to use a reel with relatively small dimensions even ifmaterial of considerable width has to be coiled.

The flexible rolls of the reel according to the present invention may bemade of rubber, plastic or other flexible material with or withoutreinforcing linings of hemp, leather or other natural material. Flexibletubes which may be reinforced with linings of flexible metallic hose areas suitable as solid flexible round bars. Suitably the flexible rollslying on the supporting drum are arranged at equal distances from oneanother.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A traversing reel comprising a cylindrical support ing drum sectionand a plurality of elongated flexible rolls each held against thecylindrical surface of the drum section from one end of the drum sectionto the other in skewed relation with respect to the axis of said drumsection, and mounting structure adjacent each end of the drum sectionconnected to the corresponding roll ends, holding them in position forsuch skewed relation and including drivin mechanism connected forrotating the individual rolls around their individual axes.

2. The combination of cl im 1 in which the driving mechanism includesrigid roll ends for the flexible rolls, said rigid ends having spurgears, and a driving gear is meshed with the spur gears at each end.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the mounting structure isadjustably held for rotation around the axis of the drum section so thatthe skewed relation can be altered by merely changing the rotationalposition of said mounting structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 222,773Switzerland Oct. 16, 1942

